Unveiled at the 1948 London Motor Show, the XK120 was built purely as an (albeit elegant) display case for the new XK engine, which would go on to power Jaguars for decades to come. After being forced by popular demand to put the car with movie star looks into production, however, the marque would, appropriately, sell the first to Hollywood A-lister Clark Gable.

So caught out by its worldwide popularity were Jaguar, that it was forced to replace much of its aluminum skin with pressed-steel in 1950 to reduce production time. However its ash frame, 'French Curves', and easy charm remained -- as did its pioneering 3.4-liter DOHC straight-six.

In its standard form the XK produced 160 bhp, which could take the car from 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds and to a top speed in excess of the mark that had inspired its name. The world's fastest standard production car at launch, the XK120 would break a glut of speed records and lead Jaguar's motorsports charge, ultimately evolving into the Le Mans-winning C-Type.